I Just Wanted To Live but I Somehow Became Better Than the Protagonist

Ye Yong was not particularly surprised by this turn of events; Wu Xue was destined to be a Valkyrie. Even though she was still in her infancy, when Ye Yong helped her temper her body, he had activated some of her meridians and abilities ahead of time. In this practical training, what Ye Yong anticipated most was her potential eruption, though he hadn’t expected Hua Ningyan to take the lead.

The pseudo-Qiongqi had not anticipated that this weakest human girl could actually cleave through its avatar with overwhelming force. When it split off a part of itself, its power diminished, yet that last remnant still held the strength of a Golden Core. Although Wu Xue’s might could only sever the avatar, not annihilate it, the fact that a human girl, so vastly outmatched in cultivation, could achieve such a feat genuinely astonished the pseudo-Qiongqi. Before Wu Xue could launch her next attack, it swiftly shifted its position.

“If only my speed were a bit faster…” Wu Xue could not catch up, gritting her teeth in silence, gripping the hilt of her blade tightly. Now that the malevolent spirit was on guard, getting close again would not be so easy.

Seeing the battle shift slightly in their favor, Xia Shiqi, who had been digging a pit to escape, abandoned her futile efforts and dashed to Wu Xue’s side, putting on a fierce and unyielding front against the pseudo-Qiongqi.

Ye Yong noticed the eerie light in the pseudo-Qiongqi’s eyes sharpen, realizing it no longer intended to play a waiting game but was preparing to strike with full force to swiftly eliminate its foes: “It’s about time to end this.”

As expected, the black smoke coalesced once more into the form of a ferocious tiger, charging first at what it deemed the most threatening, the little white fox.

Hua Ningyan summoned all her strength but could not reignite the flames from before. As the pseudo-Qiongqi bore down on her, she instinctively covered her head with her paws and crouched down.

Xia Shijia reacted quickly, scooping her up and running, but alas, they did not get far before the pseudo-Qiongqi’s paw struck them down, slamming them into the ground. Before that, she had managed to toss Hua Ningyan aside, sparing her from the attack.

The pseudo-Qiongqi’s strike was deadly, its power terrifying. Even with protective artifacts, Xia Shijia was still sent reeling, internal injuries forcing her to spit out blood.

Hua Ningyan froze at the sight of the bright red blood, an unprecedented fury igniting within her, and the white flames flared back to life, even more ferocious than before.

The pseudo-Qiongqi did not flinch; it had faced the purifying light of the Buddha before. At worst, it would lose a bit of its malevolence. Its tiger paw surged forward, crashing into the white flames.

Seeing the malevolent spirit’s attention diverted, Wu Xue did not remain idle. The energy surged along her blade once more, slicing toward the spirit from behind.

The energy struck, but the spirit’s “skin” absorbed the blow, and Wu Xue felt as if she had struck a rock.

The pseudo-Qiongqi raised its tail high and slammed Wu Xue to the ground, then flicked her away. The white flames by Hua Ningyan’s side could not sustain themselves for long; overwhelmed by exhaustion, she fell unconscious.

What had just begun to look promising turned to defeat in the blink of an eye. Xia Shiqi, who had been planning to coast along and grab an assist, now cautiously turned her back to the pseudo-Qiongqi, slowly inching toward the edge of the formation. She crouched there, not daring to look back, remaining utterly still, attempting to blend in like a statue to diminish her presence.

Just as the pseudo-Qiongqi was about to deliver a merciless blow to the unconscious Hua Ningyan, Ye Yong made his entrance.

As he drew near, the faux Qiongqi morphed from a fearsome beast into a docile creature. Though its appearance remained far from cute, the ferocity it had displayed moments ago was now replaced by a gentle compliance.

Ye Yong would not blame it for lacking mercy; on the contrary, the harsher it was, the better the training results. Besides, expecting a negative creation to show restraint was as futile as trying to climb a tree.

Ye Yong could keep it in check because he had thoroughly beaten it in the cave. The saying goes, “A fall teaches wisdom,” and just because it lacked intelligence didn’t mean it was devoid of instinct. The faux Qiongqi understood that to continue living, it must obey Ye Yong. Should it ever feel capable again, it would surely bare its fangs at him once more.

“Well done.” Ye Yong spent 100 reversal points in the system shop to purchase an item that could enhance the malevolent energy, tossing it over.

The faux Qiongqi caught it in its mouth, and the object, resembling an energy stone, quickly shrank within its slightly translucent maw until it vanished completely.

A mere half piece offered limited enhancement, but it was enough for the faux Qiongqi to grasp that its actions were rewarded.

As for whether it might inadvertently become too powerful and uncontrollable? Ye Yong was unafraid; unless it could break through to the Void stage, he had countless ways to teach it humility.

As Ye Yong entered, Xia Shiqi followed closely behind, exuding an air of superiority. She held her head high before the faux Qiongqi, glaring at it and emitting a low growl of warning, as if to say, “If the master weren’t here, I’d tear you apart.”

In the realm of dogs relying on wolves for strength, she truly excelled.

Ye Yong picked up the unconscious Hua Ningyan, moving to Xia Shijia’s side, administering healing medicine to her before approaching Wu Xue.

“Young master… I’m sorry for disappointing you.” Wu Xue lay on the ground, propped up on one arm, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. The final assault from the faux Qiongqi had been entirely on par with a mid-stage Golden Core attack, and it was only natural for her to suffer internal injuries after taking two hits.

“I’m not disappointed; rather, your performance has exceeded my expectations.” Ye Yong fed her a pill, gently patting her head. “Do you blame me for being ruthless, putting you against such a powerful foe?”

Wu Xue shook her head. “I know you’re thinking of us, young master. Life is full of uncertainties; no one knows what enemy might appear next. And with the treasures you provide for protection, I feel the injuries I sustained against the Qiongqi are no different from those I received battling the Shadow of Foundation Establishment. It’s just that the malevolent spirit is too strong; my attacks had no effect.”

“You managed to strike it, rather than miss entirely, which is already impressive. To have any effect on it, you’d need to reach the Bone Refinement stage.”

The Bone Refinement stage for martial artists corresponds to the crystallization for cultivators. Qin Shimeng had once tried her utmost in the cave, successfully freezing and shattering the faux Qiongqi. Had it been an ordinary Golden Core creature, it would have been gravely injured, if not dead.

Though the novel never had Qin Shimeng and Wu Xue face off, Ye Yong felt their strengths were evenly matched, with no significant disparity.

“Bone Refinement… I will train hard!” After their battle, Wu Xue’s fear of the faux Qiongqi had diminished considerably. Having an enemy she couldn’t yet defeat, one she could unleash her full strength against, filled her with fighting spirit. Then, her eyes sparkled with mischief. “So, young master, who performed best among us?”

Even with her injuries unhealed, she was already thinking of this. Ye Yong couldn’t help but chuckle; the girl’s thoughts were so pure. “All three of you performed admirably, so the rewards will be shared.”

“Oh…” Wu Xue counted on her fingers. With 12 hours in a day, divided into three portions, that meant four hours each. Four hours to ‘grow’ alongside the young master was a result she could fully accept. Moreover, with Hua Ningyan unconscious, she could choose the most advantageous time segment.

Nighttime was out of the question, as she needed to sleep. Though she longed to be with the young master while dreaming, sleeping would waste precious time. It was daytime, and still morning; choosing this time would allow the young master to have breakfast and lunch, and perhaps even an early dinner.

—

Not bad at all.

Wu Xue had already made her decision in her heart and declared that she would be the first to claim her reward.

Ye Yong was unaware of this little darling’s meticulous calculations; he merely thought she was eager and nodded in agreement.

Afterward, he returned the faux Qiongqi to the props, laid the unconscious Hua Ningyan on the bed, tucking her in snugly, and fed Xia Shijia some medicinal pills to bolster her vitality, ensuring she could rest well. Ye Yong then took Wu Xue to the dining hall, where he brought out the breakfast prepared by the cooking system, cradling her in his arms and feeding her bit by bit.

Xia Shiqi hopped around in front of Ye Yong, eager to try her luck for such treatment as well. Ye Yong, uninterested in this lazy creature that showed no signs of effort, had already been quite kind by not locking it up with the faux Qiongqi for “special guidance.”

“Young Master, you should try this too.” Being held by Ye Yong and fed delicious food, Wu Xue felt as if she might melt from happiness. Unfortunately, a hyperactive wolf nearby, howling intermittently, was quite the mood killer. So, Wu Xue deliberately pinched a piece of fragrant spirit meat, making exaggerated motions to catch Xia Shiqi’s attention. Under its eager gaze, she offered it to Ye Yong’s lips.

Ye Yong noticed Wu Xue’s intent to tease Xia Shiqi and played along, making exaggerated smacking sounds as he ate, which only made the foolish wolf more ravenous. If it were just Wu Xue, it would surely have jumped onto the table to snatch the food, but with Ye Yong present, he was the “alpha wolf,” leaving Xia Shiqi with no choice but to pace beneath the table, emitting sounds of longing.

After breakfast, Ye Yong began sketching the continuation of the pet’s little story for Wu Xue in the living room. Xia Shiqi lay nearby, bored, nibbling on leftover food, watching Wu Xue’s blissful smile as it was cradled in Ye Yong’s arms, and the taste of spirit meat suddenly lost its appeal.

By noon, Qin Shidream arrived with Xiao Huan. Normally, upon hearing sounds at the door, Wu Xue would shyly slip away from Ye Yong’s embrace, but today, she had reason to convince herself that this was a reward she deserved.